what enzyme places the nucleotides on the dna strand?
Answer:
The enzyme that is responsible for placing nucleotides on the DNA strand is called DNA polymerase. DNA polymerase plays a crucial role in DNA replication, which is the process of making a new copy of DNA.
During DNA replication, the DNA double helix unwinds, and each strand acts as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand. DNA polymerase moves along the parent strand and adds nucleotides to the growing daughter strand based on the sequence of the template strand.
There are different types of DNA polymerases, but the primary enzyme involved in DNA replication in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes is known as DNA polymerase III in prokaryotes and DNA polymerase δ in eukaryotes. These enzymes have a high fidelity in accurately copying the DNA sequence.
In addition to DNA replication, DNA polymerase is also involved in other DNA processes such as DNA repair and DNA synthesis during DNA recombination. It is an essential enzyme for maintaining the integrity and stability of the DNA molecule.